(Mainichi Japan) October 20, 2011
Journalists' responsibilities heavy in face of unprecedented crisis (Part 1)
新聞週間特集：「原発事故と報道」報告（その１）　被災者の視点重く
　＜新聞週間代表標語　上を向く　力をくれた　記事がある＞

The unprecedented disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, in which fuel meltdowns were found to have taken place simultaneously at three reactors, poses a massive challenge to the media.
　３基の原子炉が同時期に炉心溶融するという世界でも例のない東京電力福島第１原発事故は、報道する側にも重い課題を突きつけた。

Looking back, did we promptly deliver accurate information that could save the lives of the public?
国民の命を守るため、事実を正確に迅速に伝えられたか。

Reflecting upon our experiences gathering information from the disaster areas, as well as from the Prime Minister's Office, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), and other groups and individuals, what can we say about our coverage of the ongoing crisis?
被災地や官邸、東京電力、経済産業省原子力安全・保安院などで悩みながら取材した記者の体験を通して、原発と報道について考えた。（肩書はすべて当時、紙面イメージは東京本社朝刊最終版）

-----

　◇「どう裏付け、どう伝える」迷い　東電・保安院、二転三転

Press conferences were held intermittently by TEPCO and NISA beginning March 11, when the nuclear disaster was triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
　事故発生日の３月１１日から東京電力と経済産業省原子力安全・保安院で断続的に開かれる会見を取材した。

As the safeguards meant to guarantee the safety of the nuclear power plant failed one after another, it was our task as reporters to discern the state of the plant with the limited information we had, motivated by a sense of impending danger to residents living in close proximity to the power plant.
原発の安全を守るはずの機能が次々と失われていく中、限られた情報で、何とか原発の状態を見極めようとした。
周辺住民の命に関わるとの危機感があったからだ。

At the mercy of backtracking government and TEPCO officials, however, we were often at a loss as to how to confirm the legitimacy of the information we were given and how the information should be relayed to the public.
だが、二転三転する情報に振り回され、どう裏付けを取り、どう伝えるべきか迷うことも多かった。

A little after 3:30 p.m. on March 12, images of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant appeared on the screen of a television at TEPCO's head office in Tokyo's Uchisaiwaicho district.
　１２日午後３時半過ぎ、東京・内幸町の東電本店のテレビに、福島第１原発が映っていた。

It appeared as though just the steel frame of the upper part of the No. 1 reactor building remained.
１号機の原子炉建屋の上部は鉄骨しか残っていないように見えた。

The reporters grew alarmed. "Something's not right," one said.
「何か変だ」。集まっていた記者が騒ぎ出した。

However, even after seeing the footage, TEPCO's public relations officer stubbornly insisted: "We don't know what's going on.
　しかし、東電の広報担当者は映像を見ても「分かりません。

We're trying to confirm with those on the scene."
現地に確認します」の一点張りだった。

Finally, at a press conference held four hours later, TEPCO admitted that there had been a hydrogen explosion at the plant's No. 1 reactor.
ようやく４時間後に開かれた会見で、水素爆発と認めた。

By that afternoon, radioactive cesium and iodine were detected in the power plant's surrounding areas.
　午後には原発周辺で放射性セシウムやヨウ素が検出された。

Koichiro Nakamura, then deputy director-general of NISA and the press officer for the agency, explained that it was possible that a reactor meltdown had taken place.
広報担当だった保安院の中村幸一郎審議官は１号機について「炉心溶融の可能性がある」と説明した。

Soon thereafter, Nakamura stopped appearing in press conferences.
その直後に中村氏は会見から姿を消した。

The new press officer refused to offer any further information, sticking to the line: "We can't discuss anything until the Prime Minister's Office has made an announcement."
新たな広報担当は、「官邸が発表した後でないと話せない」と口が堅くなった。

Subsequently, NISA avoided using the phrase "core meltdown," replacing it with either "fuel damage" or "core damage."
保安院はその後、深刻な事態を物語る「炉心溶融」という言葉を避け、「燃料破損」や「炉心損傷」という言葉を頻繁に使った。

However, several months later, it emerged that NISA had previously asked power companies to fake support for nuclear power at a symposium, and on Aug. 10, approximately five months after the onset of the nuclear crisis, then NISA director Nobuaki Terasaka announced: "We recognized the possibility of a core meltdown soon after the incident began."
　ところが、保安院による原発シンポジウムのやらせ問題の発覚などを受け、事故発生から約５カ月後の８月１０日に会見に応じた寺坂信昭保安院長は「炉心溶融の可能性を事故直後に認識していた」と発言した。

On March 12, NISA designated the Fukushima disaster a level 4 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), but a month later upgraded it to level 7, the worst level on the scale, which had until then been given only to Chernobyl.
　保安院は３月１２日に国際評価尺度（ＩＮＥＳ）で事故をレベル４と発表したが、１カ月後にはチェルノブイリ事故と並ぶ最悪のレベル７に切り替えた。

An understated announcement would be made, followed later by a revision.
事態を過小に見積もった後、訂正する。

Statements concerning the nuclear disaster simply repeated this pattern.
事故にまつわる発表はその繰り返しだった。

So did TEPCO and the government respond appropriately to the crisis?
　事故以降、東電や政府の事故対応は適切だったのか。

I cannot shake the feeling that the damage could have been reined in far more than it has been.
もっと被害を防ぐ方法があったのではないかという疑問をずっと持ち続けている。

And slowly, through the efforts of the "Investigation Committee on the Accidents at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company" set up by the government, it's become clear what prevented officials from being more effective.
最近、少しずつだが分かり始めた。カギの一つは政府が設置した事故調査・検証委員会にあった。

In preparation for a midterm report to be submitted by the end of the year, the committee has been conducting interviews with TEPCO and government officials.
東京科学環境部　調査・検証委は年内の中間報告に向け、東電や政府関係者のヒアリングを続けている。

These interviews have revealed that it occurred to neither NISA nor to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to use a computer system called the System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information (SPEEDI), in coming up with an evacuation plan.
その中で明らかになったのは、放射性物質の拡散を予測する「緊急時迅速放射能影響予測システム」（ＳＰＥＥＤＩ）について、保安院をはじめ、文部科学省などに予測結果を避難に役立てようという発想がなかったということだった。

Furthermore, no one in NISA had even recognized the necessity of contacting neighboring countries, let alone raising the issue, before low-level radioactive water was dumped into the Pacific Ocean on April 4.
また、４月４日に低濃度の汚染水を海に放出する際、近隣諸国に事前通報をせず、批判を招いたが、保安院の担当者の中には、事前通報の必要性を認識し、指摘した人すらいなかったことも分かった。

What I've gathered from my experiences trying to understand the disaster is that both TEPCO and the government have failed to look at the crisis from the point of view of the victims.
　事故の背景を探るこうした独自取材を重ねて感じたのは、東電や政府には被害を受ける側の視点が足りなかったということだ。

Norio Kanno, the mayor of the Fukushima Prefecture village of Iitate, lamented that he did not receive any information from the central government for a month or two after the nuclear disaster began, and suggested that it was because "hearts (of government officials) lacked concern for the disaster areas."
　福島県飯舘村の菅野典雄村長は、「事故から１、２カ月は政府から情報が届かなかった」と憤ったが、その理由を「心が被災地に向いていないからではないか」と話していた。

There is anger directed toward media, too, which we as journalists must accept and learn from.
怒りの矛先は我々マスメディアにも向けられている。率直に受け止めたいと思う。

The basic mission of newspapers is to collect information in the field and deliver it accurately to the public.
　新聞の基本は現場取材を重ね、確実な情報を伝えることだ。

At the beginning of the nuclear crisis, however, we had no idea whether the information we had to work off of was accurate.
だが、事故発生時は基となる情報が正しいかどうかがわからないうえ、

In addition, many experts were divided on what they believed.
専門家の評価も分かれた。

Requests for permission to go on-site to the power plant to report were denied by TEPCO.
東電には福島第１原発の現地取材を申し入れているが、「対応が難しい」と断られている。

When reporters haven't looked at the scene themselves, how are they to communicate the very limited information that they do have?
記者が現場を見ていない中、限られた情報をどのように伝えたらいいかと迷いは尽きない。

Settling of the ongoing crisis, including decontamination beyond the plant's borders, is expected to take many years.
　除染も含めた事故収束には、まだ長い年月がかかるとみられる。

The investigation into the disaster's cause has just begun.
事故原因の調査も始まったばかりだ。

The responsibility to stand on the side of those who receive the news, and write articles that will contribute to reconstruction and to shed light on the cause of the disaster weighs squarely on our shoulders.
情報を受け取る側の立場に立って、復興や事故原因の解明に役立つ記事を書く。その重みをかみしめている。

(By Junko Adachi, Science and Environment News Department)
＜東京科学環境部・足立旬子＞

(This is part one of a six-part series on coverage of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.)
毎日新聞　2011年10月18日　東京朝刊

毎日新聞、玉木さんの記事はイモーショナルに過ぎるきらいはありますが、感動しました。
記者の魂にあふれる記事の掲載を期待します。
（スラチャイ）

(Mainichi Japan) October 19, 2011
Spirit of journalism shines through in times of devastation
火論：紙とペンがあれば＝玉木研二
　＜ｋａ－ｒｏｎ＞

At a round-table talk held last month at the Mainichi's Sendai bureau by a panel of third-party experts comprising the Open Newspaper Committee, Koichi Omi, the president of the publisher of the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun, explained what motivated the paper's staff to continue providing news with pen and poster paper in the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
　１６日の本紙朝刊に掲載された新聞週間特集「開かれた新聞」委員会の座談会。大震災で発行手段を失いながら手書きの「壁新聞」で報道を続け、世界的に称揚された石巻日日（ひび）新聞の近江弘一社長がこう語っている。

"Our papers are on display at an American museum and we've been awarded a prize by the International Press Institute, but what we did is not a heartwarming story at all," said Omi, of the "newspapers" that the disaster-stricken Miyagi-based paper continued to post on walls in evacuation centers and other public spaces.
　「米国の博物館に展示され国際的な賞も受賞したが、美談でも何でもない。

"We simply wanted to keep delivering information to people.
何としても情報を届けようという気持ち。

We felt there would be no point for us to continue living if we didn't fulfill our duty."
職務をまっとうしないと自分たちは生きる意味はないと考えていた」

Anyone involved in the newspaper industry is bound to find these words moving.
　同じ新聞界にあれば、この言葉に熱くならない人はいないだろう。

When the company lost the usual tools for issuing and delivering its papers, they remembered that they still had pen and paper.
発行のすべを奪われた時、まだそこにペンと紙があった。

In "Rokumai no Kabe Shimbun" (Six wall newspapers), a newly-published book recording the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun's efforts in the seven days following the quake and tsunami, Omi says that he had been reminded of the "kabe shimbun" (literally meaning "wall newspapers") he wrote and received praise for in elementary school.
　近江さんは角川ＳＳＣ新書「６枚の壁新聞」の中で、小学校の時に作って褒められた壁新聞がふと頭に浮かんだと記している。

Speaking of handwritten newspapers, there's another one that has left an indelible impression on me.
　手書き新聞といえば、私は思い起こす一枚がある。

It was July 1982, when heavy rains and flooding in Nagasaki led to 299 people dead or missing in one night.
　３０年近く前になる。１９８２年７月、一夜にして死者・行方不明者２９９人を出した長崎大水害。

The hardest-hit areas became physically isolated, making regular newspaper distribution virtually impossible. 地域は孤立して新聞輸送が困難になった。

The Nagasaki bureau chief of the Mainichi was determined to continue delivering information to those areas where it was still possible, however, and prepared copies of a one-page handwritten "newspaper" with headlines that read: "Nagasaki suffers great damage from heavy rains," and "116 dead or missing, while 95 buried alive," using a felt-tip pen to fill the page with information that the staff could obtain by the pre-dawn hours.
毎日新聞長崎支局長は、配れる範囲内でも情報を伝えたいと、手書き新聞を用意した。Ｂ４サイズの紙１枚である。
　「豪雨　長崎に大被害」「死者・不明１１６　生き埋め９５」と大きな見出しをつけ、明け方までに判明した限りの情報を整理し、フェルトペンで書き連ねた。

Ultimately, a Mainichi head office helicopter braved the poor weather conditions to deliver the regular morning edition of the newspaper, and the handwritten version never made it into the hands of readers.
　結局本社からのヘリが悪天候を突いて朝刊を届け、手書きの新聞は配布されることはなかった。

However, a copy of the handwritten extra edition is still posted on the wall of the bureau office, and the accompanying story is passed down even today to and by the staff posted to the bureau.
しかし、今もこの幻の号外は支局の壁に張られ、新人や初めて長崎に勤務する記者に伝えられている。

Following the floods, the local Nagasaki page of the Mainichi continued to provide readers with information on how they could secure food, clothing and shelter, supporting the public in their efforts to rebuild their lives.
　また、災害後、長崎の地域面は、衣食住確保などに関する細かな生活情報に徹し、被災者が日々の暮らしに必要とするものに応えた。

Compared to 30 years ago, we now have a wider range of means to disperse information, and the speed by which we can do so has risen immensely.
　当時に比べ、情報通信の手段や広がり、速度は革命的に激変した。

And yet, the sense of responsibility and passion that a handwritten newspaper represents still touches the hearts of its readers.
だが手書き新聞に象徴される使命感、つまり「熱さ」は、変わりなく読む者に訴えかけてくる。

This same can also be said of forms of media other than the handwritten newspaper.
もちろんそれはあらゆるメディアに共通していえることだろう。

Take, for example, what the Chugoku Shimbun did in August 1945.
　こんな例もある。

After the company headquarters were completely destroyed by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the paper set up a "word-of-mouth" team that went around the city yelling information through megaphones.
　４５年８月、原爆で広島市中心部の本社が壊滅した中国新聞は、新聞に代わる「口伝（くでん）隊」を編成し、メガホンで情報を伝えて回ったという。

Inspired by the paper's efforts, the late playwright Hisashi Inoue wrote the play "Shonen kudentai 1945" (Boys' word-of-mouth squad).
　これに想を得て故井上ひさしさんは朗読劇「少年口伝隊一九四五」を書いた。

The following is a line from the play, spoken in the Hiroshima dialect: "It's a bit pathetic when a newspaper publisher can't issue any newspapers, isn't it?"
　その中に広島弁でこんな言葉が出てくる。
　「新聞社が新聞をよう出せんいうんは、いかにも不細工な話ですけえ」

It may be a line that originated in a writer's imagination. But I can't help but feel that it epitomizes the inexhaustible spirit of the journalist.
　創作のせりふとしても、私はこれがあくなき報道人魂を言い表しているように思えてならない。（専門編集委員）

(By Kenji Tamaki, Expert Senior Writer)
毎日新聞　2011年10月18日　東京朝刊

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 19, 2011)
Japan should help Thailand recover from floods
タイ大洪水　早期復旧に日本の支援が必要（10月18日付・読売社説）

Thailand is suffering terrible damage in its worst flooding in 50 years.
　タイが過去５０年で最悪の大洪水に襲われ、深刻な被害が出ている。

Japan must join hands with the United States and other countries to help Thailand quickly recover from the disaster.
　日本は米国などと連携し、早期復旧を支援することが求められよう。

Heavy rain that has fallen since July in northern Thailand and elsewhere has caused major flooding in the upper reaches of the Chao Phraya River, which runs from north to south through the country.
　７月からタイ北部などで豪雨が降った影響で、国土を縦断するチャオプラヤ川上流で洪水が発生した。

About 300 people have been killed and one-third of Thailand's provinces have been flooded.
全国で３分の１の県が冠水して約３００人が死亡し、

Part of the capital, Bangkok, also has been inundated.
首都バンコクの一部も浸水した。

Flood damage is estimated to top 100 billion baht (about 250 billion yen), which will have an enormous impact on the Thai economy.
　被害額は少なくとも１０００億バーツ（約２５００億円）に上り、タイ経済への影響は甚大だ。

Heavy rain is forecast to continue and threatens to coincide with high tides.
　今後も大雨が続く見通しで、海の大潮と重なり、

Caution must be taken to prevent the damage from spreading and getting worse.
被害の一層の拡大を警戒しなければならない。

How can the floodwaters be stemmed?
　大洪水をどう食い止めるのか。

Thailand's flood control measures are not up to scratch.
治水対策は大幅に遅れている。

The new administration led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is facing its first serious challenge.
８月に発足したインラック政権にとって、最初の試練である。

===

Carmakers, others affected

The flooding has caused extensive damage to Japanese firms operating in Thailand.
　大洪水は、現地の日系企業にも大きな被害をもたらしている。

Principal industrial complexes in the central province of Ayuttaya have all been submerged, hindering the operations of about 320 Japanese companies, including automakers and electrical appliance makers.
　中部アユタヤ県では、主要工業団地がすべて水没し、自動車や電機など日系の被災企業は約３２０社に達した。

Honda Motor Co. has suspended operations there, and Toyota Motor Corp. has extended the suspension of operations at three factories due to difficulties in procuring parts.
ホンダが操業を停止したほか、タイでの部品調達が困難となり、トヨタ自動車は３工場の操業停止を延長した。

Thailand, which has been touted as "the Detroit of the Orient," is an overseas production base for Japanese carmakers along with China and the United States.
　「東洋のデトロイト」と言われるタイは、日本の自動車産業にとって中国、米国と並ぶ重要な海外生産拠点だ。

Many Japanese auto parts makers operate in Thailand, which also is a key link in the international parts supply network for various companies.
日系の部品メーカーなどが集積し、企業各社の国際的なサプライチェーン（部品供給網）の拠点でもある。

If the parts supply in Thailand grinds to a halt, it will lead to production cuts in other countries.
　タイでの部品供給が滞ると、タイ以外でも減産が広がろう。

Disruption of the supply chain in Thailand, it may be said, has exposed a weak point of Japanese makers that had increased their presence in that country.
日系企業のタイ進出は加速してきたが、弱点を突かれたといえる。

Japanese firms hit by the floods will need to expedite parts procurement from Japan.
　各社は日本からの部品調達などの対応策を急がねばならない。

Japanese carmakers have been getting back on their feet after taking a pounding in the March 11 disaster. 　自動車各社は、東日本大震災の打撃から立ち直りつつあったが、

However, if the floods in Thailand continue for some time, there are fears the automakers' business performance could suffer another blow.
大洪水が長期化すれば、業績への悪影響も懸念されよう。

===

Intl aid framework needed

This makes it all the more important for Japan to take the lead in offering assistance to help Thailand recover from the flooding.
　それだけに日本が率先し、大洪水からの早期復旧に協力することが重要である。

Tokyo has decided to provide tents and other emergency relief goods and send experts of the Japan International Cooperation Agency to join an assistance team from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
　政府は、テントなどの緊急援助物資を供与するほか、国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）の専門家を東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）のチームに派遣することを決めた。

The U.S. government has sent Marine Corps personnel and aid goods to Thailand.
米国政府も、海兵隊を現地入りさせ、支援物資を送った。

But given the vast damage wrought by the flooding, establishing a larger-scale international assistance framework will be crucial.
　しかし、被害は甚大だけに、もっと大規模で国際的な支援態勢が不可欠だろう。

Japan dispatched Self-Defense Forces personnel to join relief activities after the massive Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.
　日本は２００４年のインド洋大津波で自衛隊を派遣し、支援に当たった実績がある。

We hope lessons learned during the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake also can be used to help Thailand.
東日本大震災の復旧の教訓も生かしたい。

The government must quickly study additional assistance measures to help Thailand's reconstruction and cooperate in efforts to prevents disasters.
　政府は速やかに支援策の拡充を検討し、復興や防災協力でもタイに手を差し伸べるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 18, 2011)
（2011年10月18日01時30分  読売新聞）

2011/10/18
--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 16
EDITORIAL: Noda should have broad perspective for debate on TPP
ＴＰＰ論議―大局的視点を忘れるな

A project team of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan has started debate on Japan's participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）の参加問題について、民主党のプロジェクトチームが議論を始めた。

Party members will discuss the topic in various meetings until early November, when the government is to make the final decision on whether Japan should take part in the ongoing talks over the trade liberalization pact.
政府が参加の是非を判断する予定の１１月上旬に向けて、党内で様々な会合が開かれる見込みだ。

An Oct. 12 meeting of DPJ lawmakers opposed to or skeptical about this proposal focused on issues related to the health-care and pharmaceutical industries.
　反対・慎重派の１２日の会合では医療・製薬分野が取り上げられた。

At the meeting, senior executives of the Japan Medical Association warned that the deregulation of these industries resulting from Japan's participation in the accord would cause the health-care system in Japan to collapse.
日本医師会の幹部らが、ＴＰＰ参加に伴う規制緩和で国内の制度が崩壊すると訴えたのに対し、

Foreign Ministry officials in charge of the TPP pointed out that a public health-care insurance program is not covered by the TPP negotiations, but the participating legislators refused to be reassured.
外務省の担当者は「公的な医療保険制度はＴＰＰでは議論の対象外」と説明したが、参加議員は納得しなかった。

The TPP talks deal with a wide range of areas, from farm trade, the touchiest topic, to labor, environment and food safety regulations.
　ＴＰＰでは最大の懸案である農業のほか、労働、環境、食品安全など幅広い分野が対象になる。

The government should give the public detailed explanations about how the negotiations are going.
政府は交渉状況を丁寧に説明してほしい。

Opponents claim they are trying to protect the livelihoods of the people.
反対派が唱える「国民の生活を守る」という大義名分の陰に、

But it is important to find out whether such a claim is simply used as a pretext to protect the vested interests of related industries.
関連業界の既得権益を守る狙いがないか、見極めることが重要だろう。

At the same time, the broad viewpoint of Japan's position in the world economy must not be missing from any debate on the TPP.
　同時に、国際経済の中で日本が置かれた状況という大局的な視点を忘れてはなるまい。

With the domestic market shrinking due to a declining number of children, it is vital for Japan to expand its economic cooperation with other countries, especially in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.
　少子化で国内市場が縮小するなか、成長著しいアジア太平洋地域を中心に経済連携を深めることは欠かせない。

Few would dispute this argument.
この点で異論は少ないはずだ。

Japan has been striking bilateral economic partnership agreements with trade partners in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
　日本も東南アジア諸国などと２国間の経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）を積み重ねているが、

But these agreements have failed to produce significant effects because Tokyo, in an attempt to limit their impacts on domestic agriculture, has made sure through the negotiations that many items are exempted from the liberalization of bilateral trade.
農業への配慮から、相手国との間で自由化の例外品目を数多く設けてきたため、効果に乏しい。

While Japan has been dithering and waffling on how to tackle this policy challenge, however, the rest of the world has been taking action.
　日本がもたつく間も、世界は動いている。

Typifying the trend is South Korea, which has emerged as a main rival for Japan in its mainstay industries, such as the auto and electronics sectors.
自動車や電機といった日本の主力産業でライバルとなった韓国が典型だ。

Following the coming into effect in July of South Korea's free trade agreement with the European Union, Seoul's trade deal with the United States has also been approved by the Congress and is now on track to come into force early next year.
　欧州連合（ＥＵ）との自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）が７月に発効したのに続き、米国とのＦＴＡも米議会が法案を可決し、来年早々の発効に近づいた。

The United States will phase out tariffs on South Korean products, including a 2.5-percent duty on passenger cars and a 25-percent tariff on trucks.
米国は乗用車に２．５％、トラックに２５％など関税をかけているが、韓国製品には順次撤廃される。

The European Union will also gradually eliminate import duties on products from South Korea, such as a 10-percent duty on passenger vehicles and a 14-percent tariff on flat-panel TVs.
　ＥＵでも乗用車の１０％、薄型テレビの１４％といった関税が、対韓国では削減・撤廃されていく。

Japanese industries are worried that these deals will put them at a serious disadvantage in competition with their South Korean rivals and may accelerate their shift of production to the United State and Europe or areas that have free trade agreements with the Western industrial nations.
日本の産業界は危機感を強めており、欧米や欧米とＦＴＡを結ぶ地域への工場移転に拍車がかかりかねない。

In the late 1990s, South Korea decided that its long-term economic fortunes ride on external demand and started pursuing free trade agreements with its key trade partners while developing measures to protect its agriculture.
　韓国は９０年代末、「外需が国の生き残りのカギ」と見定め、農業の保護策をまとめつつＦＴＡ推進へかじを切った。

There are certainly some significant differences between the two countries.
South Korea is a much smaller economy than Japan and depends even more on trade for economic growth.
日本と比べて経済規模が小さく、貿易への依存度が極めて高いなど、事情に違いはある。

But Japan can learn a lot from the way its neighbor has mapped out a clear strategy for its economic future and pursued the strategy effectively.
ただ、明確な戦略と実行力に学ぶべき点は少なくない。

The TPP offers the best possible opportunity for Japan to catch up with its rivals in the race to strike free trade agreements.
　ＴＰＰへの参加は、経済連携戦略での遅れを取り戻す、またとない機会だ。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda needs to hatch a grand trade strategy and provide the effective leadership needed to put it into action.
野田首相に問われるのも、大きな戦略とリーダーシップである。

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 17, 2011)
U.S.-South Korea pact should spur Japan on TPP
米韓首脳会談　日本のＴＰＰ参加促すＦＴＡ（10月16日付・読売社説）

The alliance between the United States and South Korea can be said to have deepened to a new dimension with the latest reinforcement of their bilateral economic relations.
　経済関係の強化によって米韓同盟は新たな次元へ深化したと言える。

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and U.S. President Barack Obama held talks in Washington on Thursday and agreed that a free trade agreement between the two countries would take effect soon.
　韓国の李明博大統領がワシントンでオバマ米大統領と会談し、米韓の自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）の早期発効を目指すことで一致した。

South Korea and the United States agreed on the free trade accord four years ago, but ratification was delayed in both countries.
　米韓ＦＴＡは４年前にいったん合意したのに、批准が遅れていた。

The U.S. Congress approved the agreement Wednesday, and the South Korean National Assembly is expected to do so this year.
首脳会談の前日、米議会が実施法案を可決し、韓国も年内の国会承認を目指している。

The U.S.-South Korea FTA is expected to take effect as early as next January.
来年１月にも発効する見通しだ。

Once it is in effect, 95 percent of goods traded between the two countries will be duty-free within five years.
　発効から５年以内に、９５％の物品で両国の関税はゼロとなる。

The Obama administration expects the U.S.-South Korea FTA to boost U.S. exports by 11 billion dollars (about 850 billion yen) a year and create more than 70,000 jobs in the United States.
　オバマ政権は、米韓ＦＴＡによる経済効果を、年間１１０億ドル（約８５００億円）、７万人以上の雇用創出と見込んでいる。

===

Jobs top priority for Obama

With a U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 2012, employment has become the highest priority for the Obama administration, as the jobless rate remains high at 9 percent.
　来年１１月の米大統領選に向け、失業率が９％に高止まりする中、雇用は米政権の最優先課題だ。

The administration has high hopes for the FTA with South Korea, the biggest such deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico in 1994.
カナダ、メキシコとの北米自由貿易協定（ＮＡＦＴＡ）以来の大型ＦＴＡにかける期待は大きい。

South Korea expects the FTA to push up its gross domestic product by 5.7 percent and create 350,000 jobs. 　韓国も、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）を５・７％押し上げ、３５万人の雇用増につながると試算する。

South Korea, which already has an FTA in effect with the European Union, will gain a further boost to its exports as a result of an expanded market.
欧州連合（ＥＵ）とすでにＦＴＡを発効させた韓国は、市場圏拡大で輸出に一段と弾みがつこう。

More than 60 percent of South Korea's trade is conducted with its FTA partner countries and regions, including those with which it is currently negotiating trade deals.
　韓国は、交渉中のものまで含めるとＦＴＡ相手国・地域との貿易額は全体の６割以上に達する。

Japan lags South Korea in this regard--its trade with FTA partners accounts for less than 40 percent of the total.
４割に満たない日本の出遅れが目立つ。

It is understandable that export-oriented business sectors, including the automobile industry, are becoming increasingly alarmed, as this could put them at a disadvantage with South Korean rivals.
日本の自動車など輸出産業界が、韓国企業との競争で不利な条件を強いられることに危機感を募らせるのも当然だ。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda should swiftly decide that Japan will participate in talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord.
　野田首相は、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）への参加を、速やかに決断すべきである。

Obama hopes to reach a broad agreement with other participants in the TPP talks at the summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hawaii next month.
　オバマ大統領は来月、ハワイでのアジア太平洋経済協力会議（ＡＰＥＣ）首脳会議を機に、ＴＰＰの大枠合意を目指している。

===

Check on China

The TPP will help the United States create a U.S.-led economic zone in Asia--a base for global economic growth--and serve as a check on China, which is increasing its influence.
　米国にとってＴＰＰは、世界経済の成長拠点であるアジアで、米国が主導する経済圏を作り、影響力を強めようとする中国を牽制(けんせい)する狙いがあろう。

Also, stronger relations with South Korea, a U.S. ally and neighbor of China, are geopolitically significant for the United States.
　地政学的にも、中国に近接する同盟国・韓国との関係強化は大きな意味を持つ。

In an indication of the importance the United States attaches to South Korea, it is backing South Korea's bid to host a meeting of Group of 20 leaders in Seoul and regards the U.S.-South Korea alliance as a cornerstone for the security of the Pacific region.
米国が主要２０か国・地域（Ｇ２０）首脳会議のソウル開催を後押しし、米韓同盟を「太平洋地域の安全保障の礎」と位置づけるのも韓国重視の表れだ。

During their latest talks, the leaders of the United States and South Korea also agreed to strengthen cooperation so their countries could respond promptly and effectively to North Korea, which is continuing its nuclear and missile development.
　米韓首脳は今回、核・ミサイル開発を続ける北朝鮮に対し、迅速で実効性ある対応ができるよう連携を強化する点でも一致した。

Noda, who will visit South Korea on Tuesday, must work to strengthen bilateral ties with South Korea from a strategic viewpoint, through such means as early resumption of talks on a bilateral economic partnership and a coordinated response to North Korea.
　１８日に訪韓する野田首相は、北朝鮮への対処は無論、経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）交渉の早期再開も含めて、戦略的な観点から日韓関係の強化に努める必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 16, 2011)
（2011年10月16日01時09分  読売新聞）

(Mainichi Japan) October 15, 2011
Editorial: Reflecting on the relation between the media and the March 11 disasters
社説：新聞週間　震災と向き合い続ける

Mainichi Shimbun photographer Koichiro Tezuka happened to be on a company helicopter near the coast of Miyagi Prefecture when the massive tsunami hit the area on March 11.
本社ヘリに乗っていた毎日新聞東京写真部の手塚耕一郎記者は、無我夢中でシャッターを切り続けたという。

He recalls losing himself in his work as, aboard a company helicopter, he snapped photographs of ravaging waters that overcame a windbreak forest and engulfed residents' houses one after another.
　土ぼこりを巻き上げながら宮城県沿岸部を襲い、防風林を越えて住宅をのみ込んでいく大津波。

His photos of the tsunami, dispatched to the world through the Kyodo News service, were run by 50 domestic newspapers and around 400 overseas ones, transmitting the impact of the disasters to the world.
　共同通信社を通じて配信された手塚記者の写真は、国内５０紙、海外約４００紙に掲載され、東日本大震災の衝撃を世界に伝えた。

Tezuka won a Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association award for his exclusive photos.
このスクープ写真は今年度の新聞協会賞に選ばれた。

As an eyewitness, he shared the reality he saw in front of him, which is the basis of news reporting.
目撃者として、ありのままの現場を伝えることは、報道の原点と言っていいだろう。

The March 11 quake, unprecedented tsunami damage and crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant tested the raison d'etre of news organizations including newspapers.
　未曽有の津波被害と、福島第１原発事故を引き起こした３月１１日の大震災によって、新聞を含めた報道機関はその存在意義を問われた。

The Mainichi Shimbun also won a Japan Congress of Journalists prize for articles written by reporters who visited disaster-hit areas and interviewed people there to find out whether the disaster preparations and responses of those areas had been enough.
　総力を挙げて大震災の現場に足を運んだ検証報道で、毎日新聞は日本ジャーナリスト会議（ＪＣＪ）賞にも選出された。

Clarifying society's problems and showing lessons learned to the public is one important duty of the media.
関係者をつぶさに取材し、多角的な視点で問題点を洗い出し、教訓を提示するのも報道に課せられた重要な使命である。

We were happy that, when electricity was cut and electronic communication means were paralyzed immediately after the disasters, newspapers delivered to evacuation shelters were able to serve as vital sources of information. 　震災直後、電気の供給が止まり、通信機能がまひした。そのような中、避難所に届けられた新聞が被災者の重要な情報源として役に立ったのはうれしい。

We have great respect for local newspaper publishers that continued to turn out newspapers even after being hit themselves by the earthquake and tsunami.
被災しながら新聞発行を続けた地元紙の奮闘に頭が下がる。

The Sendai-based Kahoku Shimpo, the Iwate Nippo headquartered in Iwate Prefecture, and the Ibaraki Shimbun in Ibaraki Prefecture are all local newspaper publishers that lost their electricity.
河北新報や岩手日報、茨城新聞などは停電でコンピューターが作動しなくなり新聞製作に支障が出た。

Nevertheless, they continued to create and release their papers with the help of other paper publishers who, under mutual agreement to assist each other during disasters, handled page design and printing for them.
それぞれ災害協定を結ぶ他紙に紙面製作や印刷の代行をしてもらい、乗り切った。

Meanwhile, the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun, based in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, even released handwritten newspapers for several days, posting them up at evacuation shelters, while its printing press was offline from lack of electricity.
　宮城県石巻市の地元紙「石巻日日新聞」にも驚かされた。停電で輪転機が動かない中、手書きの壁新聞を作って避難所などに張り出した。

Some of those hand-written papers are on display at Newseum, a news museum in Washington.
この壁新聞は米ワシントンのニュース博物館に展示され、

The Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun won a special prize for the papers at the latest general assembly of the International Press Institute.
同紙は先月、国際新聞編集者協会年次総会で特別賞を受賞した。

That kind of journalistic spirit sets an example for us.
そのジャーナリズム魂を見習いたいと思う。

The March 11 disasters reminded us how important detailed information on people's needs and well-being is in times of disaster.
　大災害に際して、きめ細かい安否情報や生活情報が大切であることも改めて認識した。

Helpers need to know what supplies are in short supply and what kind of assistance survivors need.
被災地では何が不足し、どんな手助けが必要なのか。

The Mainichi Shimbun inserted a page in its morning editions called "Kibo Shimbun" (hope newspaper) that provides information on the disaster areas in an attempt to match help from the rest of Japan to disaster-area needs.
毎日新聞は、「希望新聞」を通じ、被災地と全国をつなぐマッチングを試みた。

Many traditional media organizations, such as newspaper companies and TV broadcasters, also notably tried to widely disseminate such information via the Internet, including Twitter.
新聞やテレビなど既存メディアが、ネットやツイッターを利用し、そうした情報をより広く伝えようとした姿勢も目立った。

Traditional media choosing to coexist with social media networks appears to be a trend of the times.
いわゆるソーシャルメディアとの共存は、時代の流れだろう。

Meanwhile, the crisis-hit nuclear power plant is still not under control.
　原発事故はいまだに収束しない。

With even experts divided over what damage could be caused by the leaking radiation, for example, media outlets have no choice but to rely on trial and error as they try to process the information and relay it in an easily understandable form.
放射線被害一つとっても専門家によって解釈が異なる。どうかみくだいて分かりやすく報道するか。試行錯誤しながら考え続けるしかない。

The slogan of the annual week-long Newspaper Week that began on Oct. 15 is "Ue o Muku Chikara o Kureta Kiji ga Aru" ("There is an article that gave me courage").
　「上を向く　力をくれた　記事がある」。
１５日から始まった新聞週間の代表標語だ。

We want to dispatch not only news about dangers and problems, but also encouraging news that can contribute to the rebuilding of disaster-hit areas and survivors' lives.
復興の力になる明るいニュースも発信を続けたい。

毎日新聞　2011年10月15日　東京朝刊

＞高齢化により年金の受給者は増え、受け取る期間も延び続けている。
これは大変にめでたいことではないでしょうか。それとも姥捨て山時代へと逆行するのか。
方向感や目的意識に欠ける社説を読んでいるとフラストレーションばかり蓄積されますね。
この程度の社説ならば誰でも書けるでしょう。
ものごとの本質に迫る鋭い記事を書いて欲しいなって思いました。
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 15, 2011)
Pension reform talks mustn't ignore jobs for elderly
年金支給年齢　引き上げは雇用確保と一体で（10月14日付・読売社説）

Given the rapidly graying society and declining birthrate, discussions on raising the pensionable age cannot be avoided.
　少子高齢化の進行を考えれば、避けられない議論だろう。

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has presented three plans on raising the pensionable age for the corporate employee pension program to the pension committee of the Social Security Council.
　厚生労働省は、会社員が加入する厚生年金について、支給開始年齢の引き上げに関する３通りの案を社会保障審議会年金部会に示した。

The government already has decided to increase the eligibility age of corporate employees from the current 60 to 65 in stages, by raising the pensionable age by one year every three years until it reaches 65, the same eligibility age as in the basic pension program.
　厚生年金の支給開始年齢は、すでに、現在の６０歳から「３年ごとに１歳」のペースで遅らせ、段階的に、基礎年金（国民年金）と同じ６５歳にまで引き上げることが決まっている。

The three plans proposed by the ministry are:
　厚労省が示したのは、

-- Accelerating the pace of the current schedule by raising the pensionable age by one year every two years until it reaches the age of 65.
〈１〉６５歳への引き上げペースを「２年ごとに１歳」に速める

-- Keeping the current schedule until the pensionable age reaches 65, and then raising the age by one year every three years until 68.
〈２〉ペースは現状通り維持しながら、支給開始年齢をさらに６８歳まで遅らせる

-- Accelerating the pace of the current schedule by raising the pensionable age by one year every two years until 68.
〈３〉ペースを速めるとともに支給開始年齢も６８歳にする――の３案だ。

===

Recipients to increase

Discussions on raising the eligibility age for the public pension program became a significant part of pension reform in the comprehensive plan for overhauling the social security and taxation systems, which were compiled by the government and ruling parties in June.
　「支給開始年齢の引き上げの検討」は、政府・与党が６月にまとめた社会保障と税の一体改革案の中で、年金改革の柱の一つに掲げられていた。

The graying society means the number of pension recipients will continue to increase, while the period during which people receive pension payments will lengthen.
　高齢化により年金の受給者は増え、受け取る期間も延び続けている。

On the other hand, the number of people supporting the pension system will decrease as the birthrate declines.
一方で、少子化によって支える側の人数は減少していく。

Therefore, it is unavoidable for the government to raise the pensionable age to ensure the pension system remains stable.
年金制度を安定的に運営するため、支給開始年齢の引き上げを目指すのはやむを得ない。

However, the major premise for raising the eligibility age is to ensure people remain employed until they reach pensionable age.
　ただし、引き上げるには、その年齢まできちんと雇用が確保されることが大前提だ。

While the government is raising the pensionable age to 65 in stages, companies are obliged to keep their workers employed until they reach 65 by advancing the retirement age and reemployment, following the enactment of a law on the stabilization of elderly people's employment.
　現在、支給開始を６５歳へと段階的に引き上げている途中だが、一方で高年齢者雇用安定法が定められ、企業は定年延長や再雇用などで６５歳までの雇用確保を義務づけられた。

Both measures must be handled together.
両者はセットである。

===

Companies not doing their bit

Under the current system, however, companies can use management-labor negotiations to flexibly manage their employment system.
　しかし、現行の雇用確保義務には労使協定で柔軟に運用できる面があり、

As a result, only about 48 percent of companies continue to employ all the people wishing to work until 65.
希望者全員が６５歳まで働ける企業は約４８％にとどまる。

If this situation continues, many people will be faced with a "blank period," during which they will receive nothing after they retire until they reach pensionable age.
このままでは、退職してから年金をもらえるまで、多くの人に空白期間が生じてしまう。

As things stand now, it can hardly be said people's employment through the age of 65 is secure.
　６５歳までの雇用が定着したとは言えない状況下で、

If the public is simply presented with the plan to raise the pensionable age to 68 under these circumstances, few people are likely to accept it.
さらに年金支給年齢を６８歳まで引き上げるという案だけを示されても、国民の多くは容易には受け入れまい。

The ministry is expected to appeal to the public about the dire situation surrounding the pension program.
　厚労省とすれば、それほど年金財政は深刻だとアピールする意図もあったのだろう。

But the latest proposal gives us the impression the ministry is expediting moves to raise the pensionable age without adequately ensuring the employment of elderly people.
だが、今回の提案は、雇用対策を置き去りにしたまま、年金支給年齢の引き上げだけを急ぐ印象を与えている。

As was seen in the dispute over the medical insurance program for people aged 75 and older, the public will be frustrated if the authorities fail to take steps to win their understanding.
　後期高齢者医療の例を引くまでもなく、社会保障改革は理解を得る努力を怠ると、感情的な反発が先行してしまう。

Despite the need to revise the pension system, the government should not conduct discussions hastily.
　いくら必要な改革でも、議論を拙速に進めることはできない。

It must carefully draw up a precise plan on employment of the elderly, and present it along with the pension reform plan.
高齢者雇用の充実策を練り上げ、セットで国民に示すべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 14, 2011)
（2011年10月14日01時20分  読売新聞）

先日、朝日新聞に掲載された社説と好対照ですね。
読売のは英文も専門用語も平易ですが、朝日のは専門用語が難しかったです。
読み比べて比較するのもよい学習になりますね。
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 14, 2011)
100 years on, China far from democracy
辛亥革命１００年　「民主化いまだ成らず」の中国（10月13日付・読売社説）

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, led by Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries, which overthrew the Qing dynasty's imperial rule in China in 1911.
　孫文らが主導し、清朝を打倒した辛亥革命から１００年を迎えた。

At an official event commemorating the centennial in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese President Hu Jintao said the Communist Party is "the most faithful successor" to the spirit of the Xinhai Revolution.
　中国の胡錦濤国家主席は、革命１００周年記念大会で演説し、共産党を革命の「最も忠実な継承者」と位置づけた。

His remark was probably meant to argue the legitimacy of the Communist Party, which in 1949 overthrew the Nationalist government after a civil war and built a new China on the mainland, forcing the Nationalists to flee to Taiwan.
国民党との内戦を制し新中国を建国した共産党の正統性を訴える狙いがあるのだろう。

Hu then called on Taiwan to work toward reunification, urging China and Taiwan to "heal the wounds of the past and work together to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
　その上で胡主席は「中華民族の偉大な復興を実現するため共に努力しよう」と、台湾に統一を呼びかけた。

By emphasizing "the Chinese nation," which links China and Taiwan together, Hu apparently intended to heighten momentum toward reunification.
中台を一つに結ぶ「中華民族」を前面に掲げることで統一機運を盛り上げる思惑がある。

===

3 fundamental principles

Sun, whose original name was Sun Wen, advocated "the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy and the people's livelihood."
　孫文は「三民（民族、民権、民生）主義」を掲げた。

Regarding nationalism, Sun aimed to guarantee people's political rights, including the right to vote, establish parliamentary democracy and ensure the separation of administrative, legislative and judicial powers.
その一つである「民権主義」では、選挙権などの政治的権利を国民に保障し、議会制民主主義を定着させ、行政、立法、司法などの権力分立を確立することを目指していた。

Yet the reality is that 100 years after the revolution, Chinese society is far from realizing the ideal of democracy.
　しかし、１００年たってなお、この「民権主義」の理想の実現にほど遠いのが中国の実情だ。

For instance, it has been a year since the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, a pro-democracy activist in prison on charges of calling for the end of communist one-party rule, but China's treatment of him has not improved.
　たとえば、一党独裁廃止などを求めたことが罪に問われて服役中の民主活動家、劉暁波氏は、ノーベル平和賞の受賞から約１年後の今も、処遇は改善されないでいる。

Even his wife has effectively been placed under house arrest.
妻ですら事実上の自宅軟禁状態に置かれているのは問題だ。

If the Communist regime regards itself as the successor to the revolution, it has to advance further toward democracy and political reform.
　共産党政権が革命の継承者を自任するのなら、もっと民主化や政治改革に踏み出す必要がある。

With regard to people's livelihoods, Sun sought to narrow economic inequalities, but the Communist regime has brought about new inequalities in the shadow of high economic growth, namely a disparity in wealth and assets.
　孫文が経済的な不平等の改善を目指した「民生主義」でも、共産党政権は高成長の裏で、富の格差という新たな不均衡を招いた。

Popular uprisings stemming from people's resentment against official corruption and social injustice have occurred frequently in various parts of the country, illustrating the strains in China's society.
　汚職や不公正に反発して各地で多発する民衆暴動は、社会のひずみの表れにほかならない。

The recent series of major accidents, including those involving high-speed train and subway systems, have apparently stemmed from the administration's making light of safety while prioritizing economic growth.
高速鉄道や地下鉄などの大型事故が相次いでいるのも、経済成長優先で安全性を軽視したことが原因だ。

===

Dangerous nationalism

Nationalism was a driving force for the founding of a new China, and gave rise to extreme anti-Japan movements fueled by a nationalistic education under the Communist regime.
　新中国建国の原動力となった「民族主義」は、共産党政権の愛国主義教育によって過激な反日行動を生んだ。

Japan needs to continue paying close attention to this trend.
その動向を日本は引き続き注視する必要がある。

Overheated nationalism and China's military buildup pose a threat to neighboring countries.
民族主義の過熱は軍拡と相まって周辺国に脅威を与えている。

On the other hand, Ma Ying-jeou, the president of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, said in his speech at the ceremony to celebrate the centennial of the Republic of China, "The aspiration of our founding father Sun Yat-sen to establish a free, democratic nation with equitable distribution of wealth has been completely realized in Taiwan."
　一方、台湾では、国民党の馬英九総統が、「中華民国建国１００年」の式典で、「孫文が理想とした、自由で民主的で国民が等しく富める国家の建設は、台湾で完全に実現された」と演説した。

To China's call for reunification, Ma urged China to embrace more democracy, apparently because he has strong confidence in Taiwan's having realized the Three Principles of the People.
　中国側の統一の呼びかけに対しては、逆に、民主化を中国に促した。三民主義を実践したとの強い自負があるからだろう。

The Xinhai Revolution, in which many Japanese were involved and extended their support, is a bond that links Japan with China and Taiwan.
　多くの日本人がかかわって支援した辛亥革命は、日本と中国、台湾を結ぶ絆でもある。

These historic developments led to the current bilateral relations between Japan and China and those between Japan and Taiwan.
その歴史的経緯を抜きに、今日の日中、日台関係を考えることはできない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 13, 2011)
（2011年10月13日01時11分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 13, 2011)
Dexia's downfall adds urgency to fixing European finances
欧金融大手解体　独仏の主導で連鎖危機を防げ（10月12日付・読売社説）

Greece's fiscal crisis has led to an agreement on the dismantling of a financially strapped major European banking institution under state guarantees.
　ギリシャの財政危機が波及し、資金繰りに行き詰まった欧州の金融大手が、公的支援下で、解体されることになった。

This is the first time for a leading financial institution to be taken apart since the Greek debt issue emerged two years ago.
　２年前にギリシャ債務問題が表面化して以来、金融大手の処理は初めてだ。

The European financial crisis, it may be said, has entered a new phase.
新たな局面に入ったと言えよう。

Efforts must be made to prevent the financial crisis from expanding and exerting a further adverse effect on the world economy.
　金融危機の拡大と、世界経済への悪影響を食い止めなければならない。

Germany and France must take the initiative in strengthening European unity to work toward a stabilization of the financial system.
金融システム安定に向け、独仏両国が主導して、欧州の結束を強化すべきである。

The troubled bank in question is Dexia, which has business footholds in France and Belgium.
　問題の金融機関は、フランスとベルギーに拠点を持つデクシアだ。

The bank faced a management crisis due to the drop in the price of the Greek bonds it holds in great quantities.
大量保有のギリシャ国債が値下がりし、経営危機に陥った。

A rescue package agreed upon by the governments of France, Belgium and Luxembourg calls for dismantling Dexia and placing Dexia Bank Belgium temporarily under state ownership with an injection of public funds.
　フランス、ベルギー、ルクセンブルクの３か国政府が決めた処理策は、デクシアを解体し、このうちベルギーの銀行部門に公的資金を投入して一時国有化する。

The package also includes a plan to separate bad loans and provide state-guaranteed loans to support its fund management.
不良債権は切り離し、巨額の政府保証で資金繰りを支援する内容だ。

The announcement of the bailout package led to a rise in stock prices in Europe, the United States, Japan and elsewhere.
　欧米や日本など世界の株式市場の株価は上昇している。

A sense of relief seems to have prevailed globally.
ひとまず安心感が広がったようだ。

===

Which bank is next?

But a matter of concern is the fact that Dexia is not the only European bank holding huge amounts of government bonds issued by deficit-ridden countries, which include Italy and Spain on top of Greece.
　しかし、懸念されるのは、ギリシャのほか、イタリア、スペインなどの財政赤字国の国債を大量に保有している欧州の銀行は、デクシアに限らないことだ。

The ratings of government bonds issued by Italy and Spain have been lowered, following that of Greece.
　ギリシャに続き、イタリアやスペイン国債の格付けが引き下げられた。

If European financial authorities do not succeed in dealing with the crisis soon, doubts and fears may grow stronger, with people wondering which bank will be the next to crumble.
欧州当局が対応を誤れば、「デクシアの次はどこか」という疑心暗鬼が広がりかねない。

According to an estimate by the International Monetary Fund, it will require 200 billion euros (about 20 trillion yen) to recapitalize banking institutions laden down with government bonds of the deficit-laden European countries.
　国際通貨基金（ＩＭＦ）の推計によると、欧州財政赤字国の国債保有に伴う損失に必要な資本増強額は、２０００億ユーロ（約２０兆円）規模にも上る。

The European Union announced in mid-July the results of stress tests on major eurozone banks.
　欧州連合（ＥＵ）は主要銀行のストレステスト（特別検査）の結果を７月に公表した。

But as Dexia passed these tests, it cannot be denied that the EU's examination was lax.
だが、デクシアが「合格」していたように、検査の甘さは否定できまい。

===

Early recapitalization vital

The EU must reexamine the financial conditions of each bank more strictly.
　ＥＵは、各銀行の財務内容を厳しく再査定すべきだ。

Each bank is urged to expedite early recapitalization so that it can prepare in advance should it suffer losses from the government bonds it holds.
たとえ保有国債に損失が発生しても対応できるよう、各行があらかじめ資本増強を急ぐことが求められる。

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks and agreed to shore up banks through capital reinforcement.
　メルケル独首相とサルコジ仏大統領が会談し、銀行の資本増強で一致した。

This resulted from their increased sense of crisis about Dexia.
デクシアに危機感を強めた結果で、

Their decision was quite right.
当然の判断だ。

(no equivelent part in English version) （英字紙はこの部分翻訳抜けです＾＾）
　焦点は、両首脳が月内にまとめると表明した銀行の資本増強策を含む包括的な安定策である。

The Group of 20 principal economies will hold a meeting of their financial ministers and central bank governors in Paris later this week.
　今週末にパリで主要２０か国・地域財務相・中央銀行総裁会議（Ｇ２０）が開かれ、

A summit meeting of EU and eurozone leaders is scheduled for Oct. 23.
２３日にＥＵとユーロ圏の首脳会議が予定される。

The European countries must put forth definite measures, including the bold injection of public funds and the further expansion of its European Financial Stability Facility bailout fund.
　欧州金融安定基金（ＥＦＳＦ）の一層の拡充や、公的資金の大胆な投入など、欧州は明確な方策を打ち出さねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 12, 2011)
（2011年10月12日01時05分  読売新聞）

ソーシャルリーダー「Yomore」（ヨモア）は新たに開発されたiPhone用アプリで、ツイッターやグーグルリーダーをiPhone上で閲覧するための機能満載の便利なアプリケーションなのです。

まずiPhone上で『Yomore』（ヨモア）を立ち上げたら、管理画面のall（オール）を指タッチをします。

googleリーダーとtwitterが表示されます。

指スライドで画面をプルダウンして最新情報を取得します。

気になる記事には、指でタップで赤い『Yomore』（ヨモア）のメモスタンプを付けることができます。

もう一度、指タップすると、メモスタンプを削除することができます。

メモスタンプでブックマークを付けた記事は画面下方のアーカイブフォルダーを指タップすると一覧できます。

気になるリンクはその場で開くことも出来ますし、パソコンと同じようにダウンロードすることもできます。

これは、とても便利ですね。